Abstract

Lactoferrin (Lf) and IgG were estimated in camel's milk from Kazakhstan, where 2 species of camels (Camelus bactrianus, Camelus dromedarius) and their hybrids cohabit. The concentrations of Lf and IgG were determined according to 3 variation factors: region (n = 4), season (n = 4), and species (n = 5; sample 4 was mixed milk and sample 5 was of unknown origin). The mean values in raw camel's milk were 0.229 +/- 0.135 mg/mL for Lf concentration and 0.718 +/- 0.330 mg/mL for IgG concentration. The seasonal effect was the only significant variation factor observed, with the highest values in the spring for Lf and in the winter for IgG. The Lf concentration varied in 1-wk postpartum milk from 1.422 to 0.586 mg/mL. The range in IgG concentration was wide and decreased from 132 to 4.75 mg/mL throughout the 7 d postpartum, with an important drop after parturition. In fermented milk, the lactoproteins are generally hydrolyzed. For milk samples from undefined species, discriminant analyses did not allow the origin of the species to be determined. A slight correlation between Lf and IgG concentrations was observed in raw milk. The values were slightly higher than those reported in cow's milk, but this difference was insufficient to attribute medicinal virtues to camel's milk.